Tuesday, 30 August 2011

The year is 2025 and a group of mad scientists have cloned every superstar from NBA history. Conveniently, those players are now all exactly the same age - twenty. Oh, and they're all eligible for the 2025 NBA draft.

Meanwhile, the memories of every NBA coach, general manager, scout and fan have been wiped. Nobody can remember these players' careers, so there is no benefit of hindsight. Jordan hasn't got six rings, LeBron hasn't made The Decision, Alcindor hasn't converted to Islam and Penny hasn't injured his knee.

So, based purely on height, athleticism and talent at the age of twenty, who would be drafted above whom?

This is the NBA's ultimate fantasy draft.

1st Pick

Shaquille O'Neal (C, 7'1", 325lb)

There are plenty of big men to choose from, but none with Shaq's combination of size and athleticism. Dominant post player with thunderous dunks. His only weakness is his free throw shooting but, with the right coaching, he'll soon hit 70% from the stripe. Loves food.

2nd Pick

Wilt Chamberlain (C, 7'1", 275lb)

One of the most impressive physical presences in the draft. Excellent athlete for his size. Can dunk from the free throw line. Needs the ball in his hands to keep him happy. Fills up the box score. Good length (and claims he knows how to use it).

3rd Pick

LeBron James (SF, 6'8", 250lb)

The best overall athlete on the board combining incredible strength, speed and leaping ability for his size. He can slash to the basket but needs to work on his jump shot. Potentially a lockdown defender and triple-double waiting to happen. Charismatic and fiercely loyal.

4th Pick

Lew Alcindor (C, 7'2", 225lb)

Not the strongest center on the board but definitely one of the most skilled - he destroyed opponents during the pre-draft workouts with his sweet hook shot. His height makes him nearly unstoppable. Needs to improve his work ethic to become a dominant defensive force. Deeply religious. Rarely smiles.

5th Pick

Magic Johnson (PG, 6'9", 215lb)

Magic was easily the best passer in pre-draft workouts and made everyone around him better. No matter who was on his side, his teams won games with style during the workouts. Has more groupies than the Beatles.

6th Pick

Kevin Garnett (PF, 6'11", 220lb)

Unbelievably skilled forward for his height. Plays with great intensity, especially on the defensive end where he inspired his teammates and led by example. Good passer. Must add weight and avoid making inappropriate cancer jokes.

7th Pick

David Robinson (C, 7'1", 235lb)

Incredible athlete and defensive force with a chiselled physique. He passes the eye test. Can score in the post or out to fifteen feet. During pre-draft workouts, he shied away from one-on-one battles. Favourite film: Saving Private Ryan.

8th Pick

Chris Webber (PF, 6'10", 245lb)

Jack of all trades. Can pass the ball better than any other power forward. Very skilled player, fun to watch. Can hit the occasional three-pointer. Rebounds well. Athletic. Unusually baggy shorts.

9th Pick

Ralph Sampson (PF/C, 7'4", 228lb)

Incredible leaping ability, especially considering his size. Can hit the mid-range jump shot or attack the basket. Decent defender with potential to develop further in this area. Prefers to play away from the basket. Brittle.

Otherworldly athlete who only slips this far because big men are more desirable. Lockdown defender who can hit the big shot with the game on the line. Fearless competitor. Suffers no fools. Dabbles in golf, baseball and gambling during spare time.

Polished post moves and stingy defense are his calling cards. Can dominate at both ends of the court. Draft position hurt slightly by concerns over his real height and age. Chose basketball over soccer and ballet.

15th Pick

Julius Erving (SF, 6'7", 210lb)

His leaping ability has to be seen to be believed. He soars like a bird and can palm the ball with ease. Intelligent (wanted to be a doctor when he was younger) and charismatic. Massive hands.

16th Pick

Allen Iverson (SG, 6'0", 165lb)

Quickest player in the pre-draft combine. Explosive first step. Flashy dribbler with a lethal crossover move. Can score against players a foot taller. Rebellious nature and hatred of practice hurt his draft stock.

He has polarized scouts and general managers alike. On the one hand he is a lethal shooter, incredible passer and plays every game like his life depends on it. On the other hand he is slow, white and has an awful haircut.

19th Pick

Patrick Ewing (C, 7'0", 240lb)

Scouts love his defensive potential. Very nice jump shot for a center. Good size. A real grafter - which makes up for his mediocre athleticism. A bit plodding at times. Jamaican.

20th Pick

Penny Hardaway (PG, 6'7", 195lb)

Similar skillset to Magic Johnson but not quite as big or strong and, unlike Magic, can shoot the three with regularity. Talented dribbler and passer. Equally adept at taking over a game or deferring to teammates. Potentially a talented defender. Penchant for wearing a plaster on his cheek.

21st Pick

Bill Walton (C, 6'11", 250lb)

Rumoured to be more like 7'1" (was bare-footed when the measurements were taken, which fits the hippy stereotype). Arguably the best all-around center in the draft, he can do it all. Particularly strong on the boards. Ginger.

22nd Pick

Shawn Kemp (PF, 6'10", 230lb)

Ferocious dunker and shot-blocker. Extremely gifted athlete with great strength and leaping ability. His game still needs refining but he has all the tools to dominate his position. Developing jump shot. Weight Watchers spokesman.

23rd Pick

Dominique Wilkins (SF, 6'8", 230lb)

Offensive machine. Torched Adam Morrison for 63 points in a pre-draft workout. One of the best athletes in the draft and arguably the best dunker but a lazy defender. A highlight reel waiting to happen.

24th Pick

Jason Kidd (PG, 6'4", 195lb)

Good height for his position. Seemingly has eyes in the back of his head. Excellent rebounder for his position. Plays tough defense but can't shoot. Huge head. Unknown ethnicity.

25th Pick

Blake Griffin (PF, 6'10", 251lb)

Tremendous athlete. Explosive forays to the basket. The man you want on the end of your alley-oops. Uncanny dribbling ability for a big man. Strong rebounder and can find the open man. Drives a Skoda. Unknown ethnicity.

26th Pick

Tracy McGrady (SF, 6'8", 235lb)

Cousin of Vince Carter. Excellent all-around ability. Can flat out score the basketball. Excellent range. When he gets hot, he gets really hot. Capable defender... when he wants to be. Exciting player with a flair for the dramatic. Loves to sleep.

27th Pick

Vince Carter (SG, 6'6", 215lb)

Cousin of Tracy McGrady. Recorded the highest vertical leap in the pre-draft combine results. Can score from distance but prefers to attack the basket with reckless abandon. A bit selfish at times. Hates defense and Canada.

28th Pick

Derrick Rose (PG, 6'3", 190lb)

After Iverson, the fastest player in the draft. Incredible first step - can blow past even the toughest defenders. Needs to develop more of a pass-first mentality. Can take over games in the fourth quarter with his scoring ability. Must work on personality.

29th Pick

Dirk Nowitzki (PF, 7'0", 245lb)

The most talented European on the draft board. Exceptional shooting ability, especially for a seven-footer. His fadeaway jump shot is unguardable. One of the most talented offensive players in the draft. Mediocre defender and rebounder. Plans to spend his first paycheck on a sunbed and stylist.

30th Pick

Kevin Durant (SF, 6'9", 215lb)

Similar player to Nowitzki but three inches shorter and twice as cool. Deadly from long range. Potentially a decent defender but must add bulk to his lithe frame. Spokesman for the International Backpacking Community.

Tuesday, 23 August 2011

I read an interesting online debate earlier today. Someone was trying to convince people that Jason Kidd is a better passer than John Stockton (even though Kidd has less career assists and averages fewer assists per game). The argument was based around the fact that Kidd's passes are more flashy and that, if Kidd played his entire career next to someone like Karl Malone, he'd have just as many assists as Stockton.

It's a slightly flawed argument since it shouldn't really matter how flashy a pass is as long as it finds its target and leads to a basket.

However, it got me thinking about who I'd choose if I was selecting the flashiest passers of all-time at each position (no easy task, especially selecting a point guard from a long list of worthy candidates). Eventually, after hours of YouTube-induced nostalgia, I narrowed down my short list to the following starting five...

All-Time Flashiest Passers - The Starting Five

Center

--- Arvydas Sabonis ---

In 1998, while discussing the best teenagers he'd ever seen play basketball, Bill Walton had this to say about Sabonis: "When he was a 19-year-old, before the injuries, and before he put on the weight, he was a seven-foot-three Larry Bird who could do everything". Even after the injuries and the weight gain, Sabonis' passing ability still shone through.

Power Forward

--- Chris Webber ---

There have been numerous players throughout NBA history who failed to live up to expectations, but Chris Webber's unfulfilled potential is perhaps the most perplexing. The man was a wizard with the basketball. The highlights below not only demonstrate Webber's incredible court awareness and passing ability, but also his defense and athleticism. He had a nice career... but it should have been oh so much nicer.

Small Forward

--- Larry Bird ---

An easy choice and, for my money, the best passer ever irrespective of position. Magic Johnson is a close second - and was certainly better at leading the fast break and generally running point duties - but, in a half-court offense, nobody was better than Bird. He could plot the movement of every player on the court and, before anyone even knew about it, he'd somehow put the ball in the hands of a teammate in a position to score. Uncanny.

Shooting Guard

--- Pete Maravich ---

"Maravich was unbelievable. I think he was, like, sort of ahead of his time in the things he did", said Magic Johnson. "He could do things with a basketball I've never seen anybody do", concurred Rick Barry. Just imagine if YouTube existed when Pistol Pete was running the show.

Point Guard

--- Jason Williams ---

Magic Johnson. Steve Nash. Bob Cousy. Jason Kidd. John Stockton. All would have been fine choices at point guard for the All-Time Best Passers Starting Five, but how could I resist White Chocolate? Williams' off-the-elbow pass in the 2000 Rookie All-Star Game is still the best I've ever seen. Forget about the woeful shooting percentages and suspect defense. Just enjoy Jason Williams for what he was - the flashiest passer in NBA history.

Sunday, 21 August 2011

In 1994, Slam's inaugural High School All-American First Team selections included three seniors (Felipe Lopez, Jerod Ward and Raef LaFrentz) as well as two juniors (Stephon Marbury and Kevin Garnett). In the years since, Slam has made an annual tradition of announcing their first, second and third team All-Americans. Sometimes the players lived up to the hype (Kobe, Garnett, LeBron, etc) and sometimes they faded into obscurity (Lester Earl, Chris Burgess, Kelvin Torbert, etc).

Being selected as a much-heralded Slam All-American clearly isn't a guarantee of future fame and fortune (although Slam do a much better job than most). In fact, using the 1994-2004 All-American selections as a sample (since it's unfair to include more recent players who might yet make it big in the League), I calculated the following statistics:

- Of all the players selected to the Slam HS All-American first, second or third teams between 1994 and 2004, 26 players (16%) became All-Stars while 37 players (22%) went undrafted.

- Being selected to the Slam HS All-American First Team improves your odds of becoming an All-Star, with 15 players (28%) achieving that feat.

- However, on the other hand, there is a 13% chance that you won't get drafted even if you make it onto Slam's First Team. Just ask Wayne Turner, Jerod Ward, Lester Earl, Chris Burgess, LaVell Blanchard, Kelvin Torbert and Jonathan Hargett.

Tuesday, 16 August 2011

My recent top 100 players in NBA history article has raised some interesting discussion on various internet message boards and in the comments section of this very blog about the ranking of stars from the 1950s. For example, reader 'JoeKnows' commented:

"A pretty fantastic job. [However] I think you are still underrating guys from the 50's and before. Mikan and Fulks should be higher, you forgot Bob Davies etc. Overall though, a very solid list. The top 8 is exactly right IMO, the top 25 is pretty much spot on (save for Mikan who I have at #9 all-time)".

Meanwhile, over at HobbyKings, a member known as 'bdrr' had this to say about Bill Simmons' rankings (which, amongst others, were analysed in the production of my own rankings):

"[Simmons'] judgements of greats from the past are simply judgements of the raw numbers. His low rankings of Joe Fulks and George Mikan should be evidence enough."

I tend to agree with both 'JoeKnows' and 'bdrr'.

Most basketball fans - myself included - are too young to have ever seen the likes of Bob Davies or Joe Fulks play. Meanwhile, we have a fresh memory of recent and current NBA stars.

Although ranking the best players of all-time is a fun exercise, it is of course impossible to compare someone like George Mikan to Shaquille O'Neal. Shaq would eat him alive. But that shouldn't be held against Mikan. After all, you can only beat the players put in front of you, and Mikan did just that on his way to becoming arguably the most dominant player of the 1950s.

Therefore, in my opinion, when comparing players from different eras, we should give greater weighting to achievements such as All-NBA 1st Team selections, i.e. indicators of a player's dominance during his era. Mikan (who is ranked 31st in my article), for example, has more All-League 1st Team selections than Scottie Pippen, Dwyane Wade, Walt Frazier, David Robinson, John Stockton, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Isiah Thomas, Charles Barkley, Dirk Nowitzki, John Havlicek, Moses Malone and even Bill Russell... all of whom are ranked above Mikan.

In other words, you could argue that Mikan was more dominant in his respective era than any of the players I just listed.

That has to count for something.

To conclude, I believe that some authors of all-time rankings are too quick to dismiss the accomplishments of players from the 1950s. Instead, they give players like Mikan and Fulks arbitrary rankings based on an acceptance of the fact that, yes, the players dominated their eras, but, no, they wouldn't dominate today.

I personally think that is unfair. After all, you can only beat the players and teams put in front of you. Mikan and Fulks did just that. They were the Shaquille O'Neal and Michael Jordan of their era.

Sunday, 7 August 2011

Over the last few months, I've watched every All-Star Game from 1984 to 2000. Every year, I try to predict (obviously with the benefit of hindsight) which new players will be given their All-Star berth and, simultaneously, try to determine which players we have seen the back of due to old age. It's like watching NBA history play out in front of me while sat on the sofa with a beer in hand.

Watching the 2000 All-Star Game earlier today, it became clear that a new era of basketball had started.

There was no All-Star Game in 1999 due to he NBA's lockout - a very real (and depressing) possibility for the 2012 extravaganza scheduled for Orlando. Therefore, two years had passed between the 1998 game and the 2000 game held in Oakland, California.

And boy, did a lot change in those two years.

An incredible nine players made their All-Star debut in 2000. To put that into perspective, just three players made their All-Star debut in 2011.

By 2000, gone were Michael Jordan (temporarily), Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, Clyde Drexler and Patrick Ewing from the All-Star proceedings. Meanwhile, although David Robinson, Karl Malone and John Stockton appeared in the 2000 spectacle, all were reaching the end of their legendary careers.

In their place? Allen Iverson and Vince Carter were amongst those making their All-Star debuts. Other soon-to-be superstars made just their second or third appearances: Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant and Jason Kidd.

Out with the old, in with the new.

This got me thinking... might we see a similar occurrence as a result of this year's lockout? The lockout certainly threatens the likelihood of the 2012 All-Star Game taking place which means NBA fans would have to wait until February 2013 for the next showcase of the League's elite players.

By then, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett will be 36 while Kobe Bryant will be 34; at 39 years of age, you would expect Steve Nash and Jason Kidd to be past caring; Shaq is already retired; Iverson is out of the league; TMac may as well be. Out of this group, only Kobe and, at a push, KG stand a realistic chance of playing in the 2013 game.

Obviously there will be some familiar faces. Players like LeBron James and Dwight Howard will be at the peak of their abilities in 2013, in the same way that Shaq bridged the gap during the lockout enforced delay-of-play between 1998 and 2000.

But, when you next watch an NBA All-Star Game, things could look very different.

All of which reminds me of an old Nike advert. It went a little (but not quite) like this...

The revolution will be led by Derrick Rose, Blake Griffin, John Wall, Kevin Love and Kevin Durant.

Even though Kobe Bryant was just 19-years-old at the time, I remember watching the 1998 All-Star Game feeling fairly confident that it was one of those 'passing of the torch' moments. Looking back at it now, that's exactly what it was.

Kobe Bryant was selected as the starting shooting guard for the Western Conference All-Stars. Of course, the opposing two guard was Michael Jordan - his last All-Star appearance as a Chicago Bull. How would the teenager fair against the greatest of all-time?

Last week, I sat down to watch the game on DVD having not seen it for over thirteen years. Looking back at it now, it was truly one of legendary battles in All-Star history.

In 1997-98, Kobe Bryant averaged 15.4ppg for the season compared to Jordan's 28.8ppg. But don't be fooled by Kobe's relatively low output. Only the most pessimistic observer would have doubted Kobe's potential to go on to be a superstar despite his role as a bench player for the Lakers. Indeed, he was one of only a few bench players ever selected to the All-Star Game, biding his time behind Eddie Jones, himself a talented two-way player chosen to be an All-Star that same year.

Despite being the Lakers' 6th man, Kobe proved in the 1998 All-Star Game that he belonged. He finished the game with 18 points on 6-for-17 shooting including 2-for-3 from long range, all the more impressive when you consider he played just 22 minutes.

At one point, Kobe caused a stir with a memorable behind-the-back-dribble layup that left even ball-handling maestro Isiah Thomas (who was offering colour commentary) in awe. (Please excuse the poor quality video - I know HDTV wasn't invented yet, but come on, 1998 wasn't that long ago).

One year removed from his success in the 1997 dunk contest, Kobe reminded us in the 1998 All-Star Game that he was one of the highest flyers in the entire league, as shown in this clip with Kobe finishing the alley-oop off Kevin Garnett's pass.

And yet, despite Kobe's highlights, he was completely outplayed by Michael Jordan when the two players were on the court at the same time.

Jordan finished with 23 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists and an MVP trophy. He schooled the young pretender with a variety of moves including his patented fade-away jump shot (which, by 1998, he had mastered like no other player before or since) and Kevin McHale-inspired post moves.

Watching the two players go head-to-head was like watching Darth Vader toy with a young Luke Skywalker. The only difference, of course, was that, unlike Darth Vader, Jordan emerged victorious*.

However, despite Jordan outplaying Kobe, it's unfair to draw too many conclusions from the 1998 All-Star Game. Did it prove that Jordan was better than Kobe? Well, yes, certainly at the time. But Kobe was about 10 years away from reaching his peak. Did he ever reach a peak as high as Jordan's? In this writer's opinion, no.

What isn't up for debate, however, is that both players gave it their all in the 1998 All-Star Game. Such games are usually devoid of defense, but that wasn't the case when Kobe and Jordan went head-to-head. Neither player wanted to be embarrassed. Jordan wanted to retain his title as the greatest of all-time, and Kobe wanted to snatch it from him. Given the stages they were at in their respective careers, both players came out smelling of roses. Kobe proved he belonged. Jordan proved he was still the greatest.

*This will be the first and last time I use a Star Wars analogy. I don't even like the film.